Autosled



R. C. MENZIES.

AUTOSLED.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 8, 1919.

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R. C. MENZIES.

AUTOSLED,

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 8, 1919- 0 1 0 w 2 m 92 1T U. ,s a w w 6 A 0 Z sZ m a D1 R. C. MENZIES.

AUTOSLED.

' APPLICATION FILED NOV- 8, I919. I 1,348 436 Patented Aug. 3, 1920.

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AUTOSLED.

Application filed November 8, 1919.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ROBERT C. MENZIES, acitizen of the United States residing at Amsterdam, in the county ofMontgomery and State of New York, have invented a new and usefulAutosled, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to automobile sleds, one of its objects being toprovide propelling wheels located adjacent to the front end of themachine and which are mounted to move upwardly and downwardly relativeto the machine, thus to follow any irregularities in the surface overwhich the vehicle is traveling, thereby to insure a constant firm gripupon the ice or snow so as to insure an even forward movement of thevehicle.

A further object is to provide means for pressing the propelling wheelsyieldingly into contact with the supporting surface.

A further object is to provide simple and eflicient means fortransmitting motion to the wheels.

Another object is to providemeans under the control of the operatorwhereby the wheelscan be pressed with any desired force against thesupporting surface to insure the proper engagement of the wheels withsaid surface.

Another object is to so locate the propelling wheels that they will pullthe vehicle forward.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, which will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention resides in thecombination andarrangement of parts and in the details'of construction hereinafterdescribed and claimed, it being understood that, within the scope ofwhat is claimed, changes in the precise embodiment of the inventionshown can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings the preferred form of the invention hasbeen shown.

In said drawings Figure 1 is a side elevation of the sled, a portion ofthe guards on. one of the propelling wheels being broken away.

Fig. 2 is a plan View, the guards being removed.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged section on'line 33, Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged section on line 4-4, Fig. 2. i

Referring to the figures by characters of reference 1 designates thechassis of the ve- Speeification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 3, 1920.

Serial No. 336,679.

hicle, the same being provided at the rear end with a fifth wheel 2supported by rear steering runners 3 connected as by means of crossmembers 4. A longitudinal shaft 5 is supported by the chassis and has adepend ing arm 6 connected by the link 7 with one of'the cross members41 so that, when the shaft 5 is rotated the runners 3 will be swung tothe right or to the left, thereby to steer the vehicle. The shaft 5 maybe operor to the left as desired.

Mounted transversely of the chassis at the front end thereof is an axle12 on which front runners 13 are pivotally mounted,

these runners being of any desired construction and being capable onlyof moving about the axle. They cannot turn laterally.

Secured to the chassis 1 between the front and back runners is a shafthousing 1 1 in which are journaled the shafts 15 connected by adifferential such as commonly used upon the rear axles of automobilesand which differential is not shown but is situated in the housing 16.The'said differential is connected to and receives power from the shaft17 driven by the motor 18. Secured to the outer end of each shaft 15 isa sprocket 19 and mounted to swing on each ofthe shafts 15 is the outermember 20 of a'draw frame the inner member 21 of which is pivotallymounted on theihousing 14. Both of the members 20 and 21 are forked asshown at 22 in Fig. 41- so asto straddle the shafts 15 said forksbeing'held on the shaft by blocks 23 engaged by bolts. 24 extendingthrough the forks. Cross strips'25 connect the members 20 and 21 of eachdraw frame and the inner members 21 extend laterally and forwardly underthe sides of the chassis -1 and along the other side of but spaced fromthe adjacent'runners 13. "Shafts 26 are journaled in the forward ends ofthe members 20 and 21 and each shaft has a sprocket 27 keyed orotherwise secured thereto. A propelling wheel 28 is also keyed mountedon the vehicle.

or otherwise secured to each shaft 26 and.

the rim of each of the wheels 28 is straddled by pairs of ears 29extending inwardly radially from detachable segments 30 forming theactive rim portion of the wheel. The ears are attached to the wheel 28by transverse bolts 31 and formed 011 or secured to the segments 30 areradial blades or lugs 32 adapted to engage the supporting surface andprevent the wheels from slipping while in use.

Mounted on each of the shafts 15 is a spring 33 having forwardlyextending members 34 and Each member 34 bears downwardly on the innerguide member 21 of the adjacent draw frame while the other member 35 ofthe spring is connected to a cable 36. This cable extends downwardlyunder a pulley 37 journaled on the side of the chassis and thencerearwardly to a spool 38 secured to a transverse shaft 89. A hand lever40 is secured to this shaft and has dogs 41 extending therefrom andnormally engaging a toothed segment 42 fixedly Chains 1-3 are mounted onthe sprockets 27 and 19 for the purpose of transmitting motion to onefrom the other.

It will be understood that when the motor is in operation power will betransmitted therefrom to the shafts 15 in thesame manner as to the rearaxle of an automobile. The sprockets 19 and chains 13 will thus drivethe sprockets 27 and the propelling wheels and by shifting lever 40 soas to rotate the spool 38 the cable 36 can be caused to pull downwardlyon the spring arms on members 85-thus to cause the spring members 34; topress downwardly on the draw frames. This will press the blades or lugs32 of the propelling wheels against or into the supporting surface withthe result that the vehicle will be drawn forwardly when the wheels arerotated. By shifting lever 40 the pressure of the propelling wheels onthe supporting surface can be regulated. Importance is attached to thefact that these propelling wheels are located adjacent the outer sidesof the front runners as they thereby operateto pull the vehicle alongthe road instead of pushing it. Consequently the vehicle can be readilycontrolled simply by shifting the rear runners which will operate asefficient guiding means.

It is to be understood that each of the propelling wheels and itsdriving mechanism can be housed in a hood or guard 44.

What is claimed is 1. The combination with a vehicle having rear runnersadapted to be turned laterally to steer the vehicle and independentlytiltable front runners, of independently tiltable draw frames at thesides of the vehicle and having their free ends extended forwardly,

apropelling wheel journaled in the front holding the propelling wheelsend of each draw frame supported beside one of the front runners, amotor, and means for transmitting motion from the motor to thepropelling wheels.

2. The combination with a vehicle structure having rear steering runnersadapted to be turned laterally, and front runners, of draw frames at thesides of the vehicle and mounted to swing about an axis extendingtransversely of the vehicle between the front and rear runners,propelling wheels journaled within the draw frames and located besidethe front runners, a motor, means for transmitting motion from the motorto the propelling wheels.

3. The combination. with atvehicle structure having rear steeringrunners adapted to be turned laterally, and front runners, of drawframes at the sides of the vehicle and mounted to swing about an axisextending transversely of the vehicle between the front and rearrunners, propelling wheels journaled within the draw frames and locatedbeside the front runners, a motor, means for transmitting motion fromthe motor tothe propelling wheels, and yielding means for holding thepropelling wheels pressed against the supporting surface thereunder.

4. The combination with a vehicle structure including rear steeringrunners and front runners, of a transverse shaft journaled between thefront and rear runners and including a differential, a motor for drivingsaid shaft, forwardly extending draw frames pivotally mounted on theends of the shaft and projecting to the outer sides of the frontrunners, propelling wheels j ournaled in the front portions of the drawframes, and means for transmitting motion to the propelling wheels fromthe transverse shaft.

5. The combination with a vehicle strucbeside the front runners, amotor, means for transmitting motion from the motor to the propellingwheels, and yielding means for pressed against the supporting surfacethereunder, and means under control of the driver for varying thepressure of the propelling wheels upon the supporting surface.

'6. The combination with a vehicle structure including rear steeringrunners and front runners, of a transverse shaft journaled between thefront and rear runners and including a differential, a motor foractuating said shaft, draw frames mounted to swing uponthe endportions'of the shaft and extending forwardly and lapping the outersides of the front runners, a propelling Wheel journaled Within each ofthe draw frames and supported at the side of a front runner, means fortransmitting motion to the propelling Wheels from the shaft, a springmounted for rotation on each end portion of the shaft, arms extendingfrom the spring, one of said arms bearing downwardly on the draw frames,and means under the control of the operator for shifting the other armof the spring to Vary the pressure of the spring upon the draw framesand of the propelling wheels upon the supporting surface.

7 The combination With a vehicle structure including rear steeringrunners and front runners, of propelling Wheels supported at the sidesof the front runners and mounted for up and down movement, relative tothe structure, means for connecting said Wheels to the sides of theVehicle, a motor, means for transmitting motion from the motor to theWheels, yielding means for pressing the propelling Wheels into contactWith the supporting surface, and means under the control of the operatorfor regulating said pressure.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto afiixedmy signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

ROBERT C. MENZIES.

.Witnesses E. J. HAND. Josnrrr B. FREDERICK.

